Unlocking a portable electronic device by performing multiple actions on an unlock interface

ABSTRACT

The disclosure provided herein includes a multi-step authentication process to unlock a portable electronic device. To unlock the device, a user can use a touch screen on the device to select an access category, to select an access subcategory, and to enter an access subcategory value. The access subcategory can depend on the access category, making them logically related. The access subcategory value can be a value that corresponds to the selected access category and subcategory. The multi-step authentication or unlocking process can advantageously be easy to remember because the pieces of information to be provided are logically related to one another. In addition, the multi-step authentication or unlocking process can be difficult to guess as each step in the process decreases the chances an unwanted person or system correctly guesses the correct values for each step.

BACKGROUND

Field

The systems and methods disclosed herein relate generally to userinterfaces that employ touch-sensitive displays, and more particularly,to the unlocking of user interfaces on portable electronic devices.

Description of Related Art

Touch-sensitive displays (also known as “touch screens” or“touchscreens”) are widely used in portable electronic devices todisplay graphics and text and to provide a user interface through whicha user may interact with the device. A touch screen detects and respondsto contact on the touch screen. A device may display one or more softkeys, menus, and other user-interface objects on the touch screen. Auser may interact with the device by contacting the touch screen atlocations corresponding to the user-interface objects with which theuser wishes to interact. To reduce or eliminate unwanted interactionwith a portable electronic device, the device can operate in a lockedstate until the user performs one or more predefined actions on thetouch screen or with other user interface elements on the device. If theuser successfully performs the predefined actions, the device can enteran unlocked state allowing the user to more fully utilize the device.

SUMMARY

The systems, methods and devices of the disclosure each have innovativeaspects, no single one of which is indispensable or solely responsiblefor the desirable attributes disclosed herein. Some of the advantageousfeatures of some embodiments will now be summarized.

Touch screens are becoming more popular for use as displays and as userinput devices on portable devices, such as laptops, mobile telephones,tablets, smartwatches, electronic accessories, and personal digitalassistants (PDAs). One problem associated with using touch screens onportable devices is the unintentional activation or deactivation offunctions due to unintentional contact with the touch screen. Thus,portable devices or applications on a portable device can enter a lockedstate upon satisfaction of predefined lock conditions, such as after apredetermined time of idleness has elapsed or upon manual locking by auser.

Devices with touch screens and/or applications running on such devicesmay be unlocked using typical unlocking procedures, such as entering aPIN, entering a password, performing a gesture on the touch screen, andthe like. These unlock procedures, however, have drawbacks. In someinstances, creating, memorizing, and recalling passwords, codes,gestures and the like can be quite burdensome. To reduce this burden,users may often configure unlocking procedures that are easy to guess.This may leave the portable device susceptible to unwanted access byanother person. On the other hand, making unlocking the device moredifficult, such as by using a longer, more complicated password, maymake unlocking the device more difficult and may reduce the quality ofthe user experience. Ultimately, these drawbacks may reduce the securityof the device and, as a consequence, the use of the device in contextswhere security may be desirable.

Accordingly, there is a need for more efficient, user-friendlyprocedures for unlocking such devices, touch screens, and/orapplications. More generally, there is a need for more efficient,user-friendly procedures for transitioning such devices, touch screens,and/or applications between user interface states. For example, theprocedures can include transitioning from a user interface state for afirst application to a user interface state for a second application,between user interface states in the same application, or between lockedand unlocked states. In addition, there is a need for a method ofproviding a way to access a device or application using information thatis easy to remember but difficult to guess, to reduce or preventunwanted access.

In a first aspect, a method of unlocking a portable electronic device isprovided where the device includes a touch-sensitive display. The methodincludes displaying on the touch-sensitive display an unlock interface.The unlock interface includes a plurality of access category images,wherein each of the plurality of access category images is a graphical,interactive user-interface object with which a user may interact. Theunlock interface also includes an active category image different fromthe plurality of access category images, wherein the active categoryimage is a graphical object that has two states, a first state prior tointeraction with an access category image and a second state to indicateinteraction with an access category image. The unlock interface alsoincludes an access subcategory image, wherein the access subcategoryimage is a graphical, interactive user-interface object with which auser may interact. The unlock interface also includes an accesssubcategory value image, wherein the access subcategory value image is agraphical object configured to display information corresponding to areceived subcategory value. The method further includes displaying theactive category image in the first state. The method also includesdetecting a contact with the touch-sensitive display on one of theplurality of access category images displayed on the touch-sensitivedisplay, loading an access category corresponding to the access categoryimage displayed at the detected contact, and displaying the activecategory image in the second state. The method includes modifying theaccess subcategory image to display an image corresponding to one of aplurality of access subcategories, the plurality of access subcategoriescorresponding to the loaded access category. The method also includesdetecting a contact with the touch-sensitive display on the accesssubcategory image displayed on the touch-sensitive display, loading anaccess subcategory corresponding to the access subcategory imagedisplayed at a time of the detected contact, receiving an accesssubcategory value, and modifying the access subcategory value window todisplay an image corresponding to the received access subcategory value.The method then includes comparing the loaded access category, theloaded access subcategory, and the received access subcategory value tostored access credentials, the stored access credentials comprising anunlock category, an unlock subcategory, and an unlock value. If theloaded access category matches the unlock category, the loaded accesssubcategory matches the unlock subcategory, and the received subcategoryvalue matches the unlock value, the method includes unlocking theportable electronic device and ceasing to display the unlock interface.If the loaded access category does not match the unlock category or theloaded access subcategory does not match the unlock subcategory or thereceived access subcategory value does not match the unlock value, themethod includes maintaining the device in a locked state and displayinga magnified version of the unlock interface wherein the magnification isbased at least in part on differences between the loaded access categoryand the unlock category, differences between the loaded accesssubcategory and the unlock subcategory, and/or differences between thereceived access subcategory value and the unlock value. The unlockcategory, the unlock subcategory, and the unlock value are related toone another as logically related pieces of information.

In some embodiments of the first aspect, the unlock category comprises aradio station category, the unlock access subcategory comprises one of acity or a station call number, and the unlock value corresponds to thecity or the station call number of the unlock access subcategory. Insome embodiments of the first aspect, the unlock category comprises aprofessional sports team, the unlock subcategory comprises one of aplayer jersey number or a team name, and the unlock value corresponds tothe player jersey number or the team name of the unlock accesssubcategory. In some embodiments of the first aspect, the unlockcategory comprises a television show, the unlock subcategory comprisesone of a cast name or a show seasons number, and the unlock valuecorresponds to the cast name or the show seasons number of the unlocksubcategory. In some embodiments of the first aspect, the unlockcategory comprises arts awards, the unlock subcategory comprises one ofan album name or an award year, and the unlock value corresponds to thealbum name or the award year of the unlock subcategory. In someembodiments of the first aspect, there are a plurality of unlock valuescorresponding to respective unlock access subcategories, wherein theunlock category comprises a radio station category, the unlock accesssubcategories comprise a city and a station call number, and a firstunlock value corresponds to the city unlock access subcategory and asecond unlock value corresponds to the station call number of the unlockaccess subcategory.

In some embodiments of the first aspect, displaying the magnifiedversion of the unlock interface comprises displaying a portion of theunlock interface such that the portion fills the touch-sensitivedisplay. In a further embodiment, the magnification increases by a firstvalue if the loaded access category does not match the unlock category,by a second value if the loaded access subcategory does not match theunlock subcategory, and by a third value if the received accesssubcategory value does not match the unlock value. In yet anotherfurther embodiment, the method further includes aggregating themagnification over a plurality of unsuccessful unlock attempts. In yetanother further embodiment, the method further includes entering asecured state after the portable device is powered on if the portabledevice is powered down after displaying the magnified version of theunlock interface. In yet another further embodiment, entering thesecured state comprises displaying a secure lock interface comprising aparameter violation image, wherein the parameter violation image is agraphical, interactive user-interface object with which a user interactsto enter an exit code. In yet another further embodiment, the methodincludes comparing the entered exit code to a stored exit code anddisplaying the unlock interface if the entered exit code matches thestored exit code.

In some embodiments of the first aspect, the unlock interface furthercomprises a plurality of mandatory access category images, wherein eachmandatary access category image is a graphical object configured todisplay information corresponding to a number of mandatory accesscategories. In a further embodiment, the number of mandatory accesscategories corresponds to a number of access categories for which anaccess subcategory must be loaded and for which an access subcategoryvalue must be received prior to unlocking the portable electronicdevice. In yet another further embodiment, the number of mandatoryaccess categories is greater than or equal to 2. In yet another furtherembodiment, the number of mandatory access categories is less than orequal to 4.

In a second aspect, a method for unlocking a portable electronic deviceis provided wherein the electronic device includes a touch-sensitivedisplay. The method includes displaying on the touch-sensitive displayan unlock interface. The unlock interface includes a plurality of accesscategory images, wherein each of the plurality of access category imagesis a graphical, interactive user-interface object with which a user mayinteract; an active category image different from the plurality ofaccess category images, wherein the active category image is a graphicalobject that has two states, a first state prior to interaction with anaccess category image and a second state to indicate interaction with anaccess category image; an access subcategory image, wherein the accesssubcategory image is a graphical, interactive user-interface object withwhich a user may interact; and an access subcategory value image,wherein the access subcategory value image is a graphical objectconfigured to display information corresponding to a receivedsubcategory value. The method further includes displaying the activecategory image in the first state, detecting a contact with thetouch-sensitive display on one of the plurality of access categoryimages displayed on the touch-sensitive display, and displaying theactive category image in the second state. The method includes modifyingthe access subcategory image to display an image corresponding to one ofa plurality of access subcategories, the plurality of accesssubcategories corresponding to the loaded access category. The methodfurther includes detecting a contact with the touch-sensitive display onthe access subcategory image displayed on the touch-sensitive displayand modifying the access subcategory value window to display an imagecorresponding to a received access subcategory value. The methodincludes unlocking the portable electronic device if the loaded accesscategory matches a stored unlock category, the loaded access subcategorymatches a stored unlock subcategory, and the received subcategory valuematches a stored unlock value; and displaying a magnified version of theunlock interface if the loaded access category does not match the storedunlock category or the loaded access subcategory does not match thestored unlock subcategory or the received access subcategory value doesnot match the stored unlock value. The magnification is based at leastin part on differences between the loaded access category and the storedunlock category, differences between the loaded access subcategory andthe stored unlock subcategory, and/or differences between the receivedaccess subcategory value and the stored unlock value.

In some embodiments of the second aspect, the method also includesdisplaying a magnified version of the unlock interface based at least inpart on differences between the stored access credentials and receivedinput. In a further embodiment, the method also includes displaying asecure lock screen if the portable device is powered down afterdisplaying the magnified version of the unlock interface.

In some embodiments of the second aspect, each of the plurality ofcategory images comprises a geometrical shape with text within thegeometrical shape. In some embodiments of the second aspect, the unlockinterface comprises at least one graphical object to indicate if therehas been a security violation. In some embodiments of the second aspect,the unlock interface comprises at least one graphical object to indicateif at least one access subcategory value has been received. In someembodiments of the second aspect, receiving user input indicating theaccess subcategory comprises detecting a touch on the access subcategoryimage when the access subcategory image corresponds to a particularaccess subcategory. In some embodiments of the second aspect, receivinguser input indicating the access subcategory comprises receiving anindication to change a displayed access subcategory image followed bydetecting a touch on the access subcategory image corresponding to aparticular access subcategory. In some embodiments of the second aspect,the user-interface object corresponding to the access subcategory valueis configured to allow entry of text. In some embodiments of the secondaspect, the user-interface object corresponding to the accesssubcategory value is configured to allow entry of a number.

In some embodiments of the second aspect, the portable electronic devicecomprises a smartwatch. In some embodiments of the second aspect, theportable electronic device comprises a smartphone. In some embodimentsof the second aspect, the portable electronic device comprises a tablet.

In a third aspect, a method is provided for unlocking an electronicdevice having a touch-sensitive display. The method includes displayingan unlock interface, detecting a contact with a first unlock interfaceelement, loading a first access credential based on the detected contactwith the first unlock interface element, detecting a contact with asecond unlock interface element, loading a second access credentialbased on the detected contact with the second unlock interface element,determining a difference between the first access credential and a firststored unlock credential, determining a difference between the secondaccess credential and a second stored unlock credential, and displayinga magnified version of the unlock interface where there is a differencebetween the first access credential and the first stored unlockcredential or where there is a difference between the second accesscredential and the second stored unlock credential.

In a fourth aspect, a method is provided for unlocking an electronicdevice having a touch-sensitive display. The method includes displayingan unlock interface, detecting a contact with a first unlock interfaceelement, loading a first access credential based on the detected contactwith the first unlock interface element, detecting a contact with asecond unlock interface element, loading a second access credentialbased on the detected contact with the second unlock interface element,determining a difference between the first access credential and a firststored unlock credential, and limiting the number of attempts to unlockthe electronic device based on the differences between the first accesscredential and the first stored unlock credential and the differencesbetween the second access credential and the second stored unlockcredential.

The aforementioned methods may be performed by a portable electronicdevice having a touch-sensitive display with a graphical user interface(GUI), one or more processors, memory and one or more modules, programsor sets of instructions stored in the memory for performing thesemethods. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device provides aplurality of functions, including wireless communication.

Instructions for performing the aforementioned methods may be includedin a computer program product configured for execution by one or moreprocessors. In some embodiments, the executable computer program productincludes a computer readable storage medium (e.g., one or more magneticdisk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solidstate memory devices) and an executable computer program mechanismembedded therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Throughout the drawings, reference numbers may be re-used to indicatecorrespondence between referenced elements. The drawings are provided toillustrate example embodiments described herein and are not intended tolimit the scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example portable electronicdevice.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of a method for unlocking a portableelectronic device.

FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate examples of unlock interfaces in various statesduring an authentication process.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate an example device displaying an example unlockinterface prior to magnification in FIG. 4A and after magnification inFIG. 4B.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example security violation screen interface.

FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate examples of an unlock interface on a smartwatchdevice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although aspects of the embodiments described in this disclosure willfocus, for the purpose of illustration, on a portable electronic devicesuch as a smartphone, one skilled in the art will appreciate that thetechniques disclosed herein may be applied to a number of devices,processes, or applications. For example, systems and methods of enteringaccess credentials in a sequential manner may be used for otherpurposes, such as accessing applications on computers, on in-vehicleentertain systems or computers, accessing electronic devices of varioustypes such as automatic teller machines (ATMs), accessing media contentover the Internet, entering building structures (e.g., commercial,educational, industrial, and/or residential structures), and accessingphysical objects (e.g., accessing safe deposit boxes at a bank), or thelike. Various aspects of the disclosure will now be described withregard to certain examples and embodiments, which are intended toillustrate but not limit the disclosure. In some instances, well-knownmethods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described indetail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example portable electronicdevice 100. The device 100 includes a memory 102, a memory controller104, one or more processing units (CPU's) 106, a peripherals interface108, RF circuitry 112, audio circuitry 114, a speaker 116, a microphone117, an input/output (I/O) subsystem 120, a touch screen 126, otherinput or control devices 128, and an external port 148. These componentscommunicate over the one or more communication buses or signal lines110. The device 100 can be any portable electronic device, including butnot limited to a handheld computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, amedia player, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop, asmartwatch, a smart electronic accessory, a television, or the like,including a combination of two or more of these items. It should beappreciated that the device 100 is only one example of a portableelectronic device 100, and that the device 100 may have more or fewercomponents than shown, or a different configuration of components. Thevarious components shown in FIG. 1 may be implemented in hardware,software or a combination of both hardware and software, including oneor more signal processing and/or application specific integratedcircuits.

The memory 102 may include high speed random access memory and may alsoinclude non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storagedevices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state memorydevices. In some embodiments, the memory 102 may farther include storageremotely located from the one or more processors 106, for instancenetwork attached storage accessed via the RF circuitry 112 or externalport 148 and a communications network (not shown) such as the Internet,intranet(s), Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Local Area Networks(WLANs), Storage Area Networks (SANs) and the like, or any suitablecombination thereof. Access to the memory 102 by other components of thedevice 100, such as the CPU 106 and the peripherals interface 108, maybe controlled by the memory controller 104.

The peripherals interface 108 couples the input and output peripheralsof the device to the CPU 106 and the memory 102. The one or moreprocessors 106 runs various software programs and/or sets ofinstructions stored in the memory 102 to perform various functions forthe device 100 and to process data.

In some embodiments, the peripherals interface 108, the CPU 106, and thememory controller 104 may be implemented on a single chip, such as achip 111. In some other embodiments, they may be implemented on separatechips.

The RF (radio frequency) circuitry 112 receives and sendselectromagnetic waves. The RF circuitry 112 converts electrical signalsto/from electromagnetic waves and communicates with communicationsnetworks and other communications devices via the electromagnetic waves.The RF circuitry 112 may include well-known circuitry for performingthese functions, including but not limited to an antenna system, an RFtransceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, adigital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, a subscriber identity module(SIM) card, memory, and so forth. The RF circuitry 112 may communicatewith the networks, such as the Internet, also referred to as the WorldWide Web (WWW), an Intranet and/or a wireless network, such as acellular telephone network, a wireless local area network (LAN) and/or ametropolitan area network (MAN), and other devices by wirelesscommunication. The wireless communication may use any of a plurality ofcommunications standards, protocols and technologies, including but notlimited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced DataGSM Environment (EDGE), wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA),code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access(TDMA), BLUETOOTH®, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and/or IEEE 802.11n), voice overInternet Protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, a protocol for email, instantmessaging, and/or Short Message Service (SMS)), or any other suitablecommunication protocol, including communication protocols not yetdeveloped as of the filing date of this document.

The audio circuitry 114, the speaker 116, and the microphone 117 providean audio interface between a user and the device 100. The audiocircuitry 114 receives audio data from the peripherals interface 108,converts the audio data to an electrical signal, and transmits theelectrical signal to the speaker 116. The speaker converts theelectrical signal to human-audible sound waves. The audio circuitry 114also receives electrical signals converted by the microphone 116 fromsound waves. The audio circuitry 114 converts the electrical signal toaudio data and transmits the audio data to the peripherals interface 108for processing. Audio data may be may be retrieved from and/ortransmitted to the memory 102 and/or the RF circuitry 112 by theperipherals interface 108. In some embodiments, the audio circuitry 114also includes a headset jack (not shown). The headset jack provides aninterface between the audio circuitry 114 and removable audioinput/output peripherals, such as output-only headphones or a headsetwith both output (headphone for one or both ears) and input(microphone).

The camera circuitry 118 provides an interface to one or more cameras119 between a user and the device 100. The camera circuitry 118 convertslight into electrical signals for analysis, processing, storage, and/ordisplay. The camera circuitry 118, in conjunction with the audiocircuitry 114, can be configured to capture and record images and video.The camera circuitry 118 may include well-known components to accomplishthis functionality including, for example and without limitation, one ormore image sensors (e.g., CCD chips, CMOS chips, etc.), image sensorreadout electronics, signal processing electronics, image processingelectronics, optical circuits to control optical components to providezooming and focusing functions, and the like.

The I/O subsystem 120 provides the interface between input/outputperipherals on the device 100, such as the touch screen 126 and otherinput/control devices 128, and the peripherals interface 108. The I/Osubsystem 120 includes a touch-screen controller 122 and one or moreinput controllers 124 for other input or control devices. The one ormore input controllers 124 receive/send electrical signals from/to otherinput or control devices 128. The other input/control devices 128 mayinclude physical buttons (e.g., push buttons, rocker buttons, capacitivetouch buttons, etc.), dials, slider switches, sticks, and so forth.

The touch screen 126 provides both an output interface and an inputinterface between the device 100 and a user. The touch-screen controller122 receives/sends electrical signals from/to the touch screen 126. Thetouch screen 126 displays visual output to the user. The visual outputmay include text, graphics, video, and any combination thereof. Some orall of the visual output may correspond to user-interface objects,further details of which are described below.

The touch screen 126 also accepts input from the user based on hapticand/or tactile contact. The touch screen 126 forms a touch-sensitivesurface that accepts user input. The touch screen 126 and the touchscreen controller 122 (along with any associated modules and/or sets ofinstructions in the memory 102) detects contact (and any movement orbreak of the contact) on the touch screen 126 and converts the detectedcontact into interaction with user-interface objects, such as one ormore soft keys, that are displayed on the touch screen. In an exemplaryembodiment, a point of contact between the touch screen 126 and the usercorresponds to one or more digits of the user. The touch screen 126 mayuse LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, OLED (organiclight-emitting diode) display technology, flexible OLED displaytechnology, or LPD (light emitting polymer display) technology, althoughother display technologies may be used in other embodiments. The touchscreen 126 and touch screen controller 122 may detect contact and anymovement or break thereof using any of a plurality of touch sensitivitytechnologies, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive,infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as otherproximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one or morepoints of contact with the touch screen 126. The user may make contactwith the touch screen 126 using any suitable object or appendage, suchas a stylus, finger, and so forth.

In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen, the device 100 mayinclude a touchpad (not shown) for activating or deactivating particularfunctions. In some embodiments, the touchpad is a touch-sensitive areaof the device that, unlike the touch screen, does not display visualoutput. The touchpad may be a touch-sensitive surface that is separatefrom the touch screen 126 or an extension of the touch-sensitive surfaceformed by the touch screen 126.

The device 100 also includes a power system 130 for powering the variouscomponents. The power system 130 may include a power management system,one or more power sources (e.g., battery, alternating current (AC),solar power), a wireless recharging system, a conventional rechargingsystem, a power failure detection circuit, a power converter orinverter, a power status indicator (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED))and any other components associated with the generation, management anddistribution of power in portable devices.

In some embodiments, the software components include an operating system132, a communication module (or set of instructions) 134, acontact/motion module (or set of instructions) 138, a graphics module(or set of instructions) 140, a user interface state module (or set ofinstructions) 144, and one or more applications (or set of instructions)146.

The operating system 132 (e.g., iOS, ANDROID OS, Darwin, RTXC, LINUX,UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks)includes various software components and/or drivers for controlling andmanaging general system tasks (e.g., memory management, storage devicecontrol, power management, etc.) and facilitates communication betweenvarious hardware and software components.

The communication module 134 facilitates communication with otherdevices over one or more external ports 148 and also includes varioussoftware components for handling data received by the RF circuitry 112and/or the external port 148. The external port 148 (e.g., UniversalSerial Bus (USB), FIREWIRE, etc.) is adapted for coupling directly toother devices or indirectly over a network (e.g., the Internet, wirelessLAN, etc.).

The contact/motion module 138 detects contact with the touch screen 126,in conjunction with the touch-screen controller 122. The contact/motionmodule 138 includes various software components for performing variousoperations related to detection of contact with the touch screen 122,such as determining if contact has occurred, determining if there ismovement of the contact and tracking the movement across the touchscreen, and determining if the contact has been broken (e.g., if thecontact has ceased). Determining movement of the point of contact mayinclude determining speed (magnitude), velocity (magnitude anddirection), and/or an acceleration (including magnitude and/ordirection) of the point of contact. In some embodiments, thecontact/motion module 126 and the touch screen controller 122 alsodetects contact on the touchpad.

The graphics module 140 includes various known software components forrendering and displaying graphics on the touch screen 126. Note that theterm “graphics” includes any object that can be displayed to a user,including without limitation text, web pages, icons (such asuser-interface objects including soft keys), digital images, videos,animations and the like.

The user interface state module 144 controls the user interface state ofthe device 100. The user interface state module 144 may include a lockmodule 150 and an unlock module 152. The lock module 150 detectssatisfaction of any of one or more conditions to transition the device100 to a user-interface lock state and to transition the device 100 tothe lock state. The unlock module 152 detects satisfaction of any of oneor more conditions to transition the device 100 to a user-interfaceunlock state and to transition the device 100 to the unlock state.Further details regarding the user interface states are described below.

The one or more applications 146 can include any applications installedon the device 100, including without limitation, a browser, addressbook, contact list, email, instant messaging, word processing, keyboardemulation, widgets, JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digitalrights management, voice recognition, voice replication, locationdetermination capability (such as that provided by the globalpositioning system (GPS)), a music player (which plays back recordedmusic stored in one or more files, such as MP3 or AAC files), etc.

In some embodiments, the device 100 is a device where operation of apredefined set of functions on the device is performed exclusivelythrough the touch screen 126 and, if included on the device 100, thetouchpad. By using the touch screen and touchpad as the primaryinput/control device for operation of the device 100, the number ofphysical input/control devices (such as push buttons, dials, and thelike) on the device 100 may be reduced. In one embodiment, the device100 includes the touch screen 126, the touchpad, a push button forpowering the device on/off and locking the device, a volume adjustmentrocker button and a slider switch for toggling ringer profiles. The pushbutton may be used to turn the power on/off on the device by depressingthe button and holding the button in the depressed state for apredefined time interval, or may be used to lock the device bydepressing the button and releasing the button before the predefinedtime interval has elapsed. In an alternative embodiment, the device 100also may accept verbal input for activation or deactivation of somefunctions through the microphone 117.

The predefined set of functions that are performed through the touchscreen 126 and the touchpad include navigation between user interfaces.In some embodiments, the touchpad, when touched by the user, navigatesthe device 100 to a main, home, or root menu from any user interfacethat may be displayed on the device 100. In such embodiments, thetouchpad may be referred to as a “menu button.” In some otherembodiments, the menu button may be a physical push button or otherphysical input/control device instead of a touchpad.

User Interface States

The device 100 may have a plurality of user interface states. A userinterface state is a state in which the device 100 responds in apredefined manner to user input. In some embodiments, the plurality ofuser interface states includes a user-interface lock state and auser-interface unlock state. In some embodiments, the plurality of userinterface states includes states for a plurality of applications.

In the user-interface lock state (hereinafter the “lock state”), thedevice 100 is powered on and operational but ignores most, if not all,user input. That is, the device 100 takes no action in response to userinput and/or the device 100 is prevented from performing a predefinedset of operations in response to the user input. The predefined set ofoperations may include navigation between user interfaces and activationor deactivation of a predefined set of functions. The lock state may beused to prevent unintentional or unauthorized use of the device 100 oractivation or deactivation of functions on the device 100. When thedevice 100 is in the lock state, the device 100 may be said to belocked. In some embodiments, the device 100 in the lock state mayrespond to a limited set of user inputs, including input thatcorresponds to an attempt to transition the device 100 to theuser-interface unlock state or input that corresponds to powering thedevice 100 off. In other words, the locked device 100 responds to userinput corresponding to attempts to transition the device 100 to theuser-interface unlock state or powering the device 100 off, but does notrespond to user input corresponding to attempts to navigate between userinterfaces. It should be appreciated that even if the device 100 ignoresa user input, the device 100 may still provide sensory feedback (such asvisual, audio, or vibration feedback) to the user upon detection of theinput to indicate that the input will be ignored.

In embodiments where the device 100 includes the touch screen 126, whilethe device 100 is locked, a predefined set of operations, such asnavigation between user interfaces, is prevented from being performed inresponse to contact on the touch screen 126 when the device 100 islocked. In other words, when the contact is being ignored by the lockeddevice 100, the touch screen 126 may be said to be locked. A lockeddevice 100, however, may still respond to a limited class of contact onthe touch screen 126. The limited class includes contact that isdetermined by the device 100 to correspond to an attempt to transitionthe device 100 to the user-interface unlock state.

In the user-interface unlock state (hereinafter the “unlock state”), thedevice 100 is in its normal operating state, detecting and responding touser input corresponding to interaction with the user interface. Adevice 100 that is in the unlock state may be described as an unlockeddevice 100. An unlocked device 100 detects and responds to user inputfor navigating between user interfaces, entry of data and activation ordeactivation of functions. In embodiments where the device 100 includesthe touch screen 126, the unlocked device 100 detects and responds tocontact corresponding to navigation between user interfaces, entry ofdata and activation or deactivation of functions through the touchscreen 126.

Example Method of Unlocking a Portable Electronic Device

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 200 fortransitioning a device to a user-interface unlock state. As used herein,transitioning from one state to another refers to the process of goingfrom one state to another. The process may be, as perceived by the user,instantaneous, near-instantaneous, gradual, or at any suitable rate. Theprogression of the process may be controlled automatically by thedevice, such as the device 100 (FIG. 1), independent of the user, oncethe process is activated; or it may be controlled by the user. While themethod 200 described below includes a number of operations that appearto occur in a specific order, it should be apparent that these processesmay include more or fewer operations, which may be executed serially orin parallel (e.g., using parallel processors or a multi-threadingenvironment).

Generally, the method 200 includes a multi-step authentication processto unlock the device, the multi-step process including receiving accesscredentials and comparing the received access credentials to storedaccess credentials. To unlock the device, for example, a user can usethe touch screen to select an access category, to select an accesssubcategory, and to enter an access subcategory value. In response touser interaction with the touch screen, the device can load acorresponding access category and access subcategory from memory as wellas receive an access subcategory value. The loaded/received accesscredentials can then be compared to stored access credentials todetermine whether to authorize access. The access category and theaccess subcategory are logically related pieces of information (e.g., ascategory and subcategory) and the access subcategory value is aparticular value corresponding to the access category and accesssubcategory. For example and without limitation, access categories caninclude radio station, professional sports team, television show, artsawards, or the like.

The access subcategory can depend on the access category, making themlogically related. In some implementations, each unique access categorycan have one or more unique access subcategories associated with it. Incertain implementations, if an access subcategory in a first accesscategory has an identical or similar name to an access subcategory in asecond access category, the respective access subcategories can indicatedifferent access subcategory value responses. For example, the accesscategory “radio station” and the access category “TV show” may each havean access subcategory “genre.” However, the access subcategory “genre”for the access category “radio station” indicates a genre of music(e.g., rock, classical, pop, R&B, etc.) while for the access category“TV show” it indicates a genre of television show (e.g., drama, comedy,mystery, documentary, etc.).

As used herein, an access category and an access subcategory arelogically related pieces of information where they are conceptually orlogically connected to one another, so that together they provide asuitable or well-defined prompt for information in the form of theaccess subcategory value. In addition, the access category and theaccess subcategory are logically related in that the access categoryprovides an indication of an area of information to be provided and theaccess subcategory narrows the scope of possible values within that areaof information. For example, where the selected access category is aradio station, the access subcategory can be a city or a station callnumber. Together, the access category and access subcategory indicate aparticular piece of information to be entered as the access subcategoryvalue. The access subcategory value can be a value that corresponds tothe selected access category and subcategory. For example, where theselected access category is a radio station and the selected accesssubcategory is a station call number, the access subcategory value canbe “103.5,” corresponding to a station call number for a particularradio station. For the purpose of illustration, access subcategories forthe “professional sports team” access category can include a playerjersey number or a team name, access subcategories for the “televisionshows” access category can include a cast name or a show season number,access subcategories for the “arts awards” access category can includean album name or an award year. In certain implementations, one accesssubcategory value can be an alphanumeric value and one accesssubcategory value can be a numeric value. In some embodiments, an unlockinterface can use similar text, graphics, and/or colors on accesscategory images and access subcategory images to indicate a relationshipbetween access categories and access subcategories. For example, if auser selects an access category corresponding to a “radio station,” anantenna tower can be shown as part of the access subcategory image. Incertain implementations, the unlock interface does not includeindicators on the access category images or the access subcategoryimages to indicate any relationships between access categories andaccess subcategories.

In certain implementations, the access credentials can be organized assets. For example, multiple sets can be defined where each set has aname. The name of the set is related to the members or elements of theset in that each element of the set expresses a quality that directlyrelates to the name of the set or each element of the set narrows orindicates a particular area of information within a category ofinformation indicated by the name of the set. In that sense, the name ofthe set and the members of the set are logically related pieces ofinformation. For example and without limitation, the access credentialscan include a set named “radio station” with the elements including“city,” “station number,” “country,” “genre,” “call letters,” “state,”or the like. The access credentials can then include a name of the set,an element of the set, and a value corresponding to the element of theset.

In some implementations, access categories and access subcategories canbe stored in a configuration database. For example, the configurationdatabase can be stored on a portable electronic device. The accesscategories and access subcategories can be pre-loaded onto the deviceinto the configuration database. In certain implementations, accesscategories and access subcategories can be updated, added, revised,deleted, or the like. For example, access categories and/or accesssubcategories can be downloaded from a server or other remote computer,purchased from a web-based service, purchased within an application onthe device, received or updated as part of a subscription service, orthe like. This can advantageously allow the access credentials to changefrom time-to-time (e.g., periodically, in response to a user request, inresponse to a predetermined event, etc.), thereby increasing security ofthe authentication or unlocking process.

The multi-step authentication or unlocking process can advantageously beeasy to remember because the pieces of information to be provided (e.g.,the correct access category, the correct access subcategory, and thecorrect access subcategory value) are logically related to one another.In addition, the multi-step authentication or unlocking process can bedifficult to guess as each step in the process decreases the chances anunwanted person or system correctly guesses the correct values for eachstep. And, as described in greater detail herein with reference to FIGS.3E and 4B, further actions can be taken by the device to decrease thechances the correct sequence is guessed. As an example, the unlockinterface displayed by the device can be configured to not display avisual indication of which access category has been loaded in responseto user interaction with the touch screen. This reduces the probabilitythat an onlooker will learn the correct access category, for example.

In block 202, a device in a lock state displays an unlock interface. Theunlock interface can be similar to the interfaces described herein withreference to FIGS. 3A-6B. The device may be set (that is, transitioncompletely to the lock state from any other state) to the locked stateupon satisfaction of any of one or more lock conditions. The lockconditions may include events such as the elapsing of a predefined timeof inactivity, entry into an active call, or powering on the device. Thelock conditions may also include user intervention, namely the userlocking the device by a predefined user input. In some embodiments, theuser may be allowed to specify the events that serve as lock conditions.For example, the user may configure the device to transition to the lockstate upon the elapsing of a predefined time of inactivity but not uponpowering on the device. The locked device, when not displaying theunlock interface, may power down the touch screen (which helps toconserve power) or display other objects on the touch screen, such as ascreen saver or information that may be of interest to the user (e.g.,battery charge remaining, date and time, network strength, etc.).

The unlock interface can include a number of graphical, interactiveuser-interface objects with which a user may interact. FIG. 3Aillustrates an example unlock interface 300 that includes a plurality ofaccess category images 302 a-d corresponding to access categories, anactive category image 304, an access subcategory image 306, and anaccess subcategory value image 308. The active category image 304 can bea graphical object that has two states, a first state prior tointeraction with an access category image 302 a-302 d and a second stateto indicate interaction with an access category image 302 a-302 d. Theactive category image 304 is illustrated in the first state in FIG. 3Aand in the second state in FIG. 3B to indicate that an access categoryhas been loaded (e.g., in response to interaction with an accesscategory image). The access subcategory value image 308 can be agraphical object configured to display information corresponding to areceived subcategory value.

Returning to FIG. 2, in block 204, the device displays on the touchscreen the active category image in the first state. This is used toindicate that an access category has not yet been loaded or selected.This or other similar visual cues can be used to indicate to the userthe current stage of the multi-step authentication process. By havingsuch a visual cue, the device can avoid the use of indicia that mayindicate the correct authentication credentials to another person (e.g.,a person wishing to gain unauthorized access to the device bysurreptitiously watching the user unlock the device). For example, theactive category image can be used to in place of using the accesscategory images to indicate that a category has been loaded or selected.

In block 206, the device detects contact with one of the plurality ofaccess category images of the unlock interface. For ease of explanation,contact on the touch screen in the method 200 and in other embodimentsdescribed herein is described as performed by the user using at leastone hand using one or more fingers. However, it should be appreciatedthat the contact may be made using any suitable object or appendage,such as a stylus, finger, etc. The contact may include one or more tapson the touch screen, maintaining continuous contact with the touchscreen, movement of the point of contact while maintaining continuouscontact, a breaking of the contact, or any combination thereof.

The device detects the contact on the touch screen. If the contact doesnot correspond to an attempt to perform a predefined action in theunlock sequence, or if the contact corresponds to a failed or abortedattempt by the user to perform a predefined action in the unlocksequence, then the device remains locked. For example, if the detectedcontact is not on one of the access category images or other graphicalobject, then the device can ignore the contact and remain in the lockedstate.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example unlock interface 300 having a pluralityof access category images 302 a-302 d. When a user contacts the userinterface 300 at or near one of the plurality of access category images302 a-302 d, the device can register the touch as contact with aparticular access category image. In some embodiments, the accesscategory images 302 a-302 d are graphical objects that can include text,such as numbers, or that can be colored differently, have differentshapes, or any combination of these. Each access category image 302a-302 d can be differentiated from the others through the use ofgraphical means. This can make it easier for a user to remember whichaccess category to select.

Returning to FIG. 2, in block 208, the device loads an access categoryfrom memory corresponding to the access category image contacted inblock 206. The access category can be, for example and withoutlimitation, a radio station, a television show, a team in a sport, anaward from the arts, or the like. The category corresponding to theloaded access category can be hidden from a user. For example, no visualindication can be provided by default to indicate the loaded accesscategory. In some embodiments, the user can interact with the unlockinterface to see which access category has been loaded. For example,with reference to FIG. 3B, the user can contact a combination ofgraphical objects 314, 316, 318, etc. and in response to the detectedcontact the device can display the category of the loaded accesscategory on the unlock interface 300 (e.g., in the access subcategoryimage 306).

Returning to FIG. 2, in block 210, the device displays the activecategory image in the second state to indicate that an access categoryhas been loaded. In certain implementations, to increase security, thetouch screen of the device does not indicate which access category hasbeen loaded or selected. However, to indicate that an access categoryhas been loaded, the active category image can change states. Thischange in states can indicate to a user that an access category has beenloaded without indicating which access category was loaded. In someimplementations, the active category image can provide information aboutwhether an access category has been loaded and which category has beenloaded using different colors, text, shapes, or the like. For example,the access category image can include text, graphics, or colors and theaccess subcategory image or active category image can change to includethe text, graphics, or colors that correspond to the loaded accesscategory image.

For example, with reference to FIG. 3B, after the device loads an accesscategory in response to detected interaction with one of the accesscategory images 302 a-302 d, the active category image 304 changesstates (e.g., changes from one color to another color, changes from astatic image to an animated image, changes brightness, changes size,changes an outline, etc.) to indicate loading of an access category. Asillustrated, the access category images 302 a-302 d remain the same soas to not indicate which access category has been loaded.

Returning to FIG. 2, in block 212, the device detects contact with anaccess subcategory image of the unlock interface. In some embodiments,the access subcategory image can be an image that changes periodically,that changes in response to interaction with other graphical objects onthe unlock interface, that provides a way to select a particular accesssubcategory such as with a drop-down menu, or the like. In certainimplementations, the unlock interface includes a plurality of accesssubcategory images, similar to the access category images. For example,where the access category images are presented around a circle, theaccess subcategory images can be presented around a smaller or largerconcentric circle. Other configurations of access category images andaccess subcategory images are possible as well.

FIG. 3B illustrates an example unlock interface 300 that shows an accesssubcategory image 306. In the example, the access subcategory image 306is a graphical object with textual content to indicate a particularaccess subcategory. The text “Card 2” in the access subcategory image306 can be replaced with suitable values based at least in part on theaccess category loaded in block 208 of the method 200. The textdisplayed in the subcategory image 306 can change, as described herein.For example, text or images displayed as part of the subcategory image306 can change, cycling through a finite set of loadable subcategories.The unlock interface 300 can include a forward arrow 314 and a backarrow 316 that are respectively configured to command the device toscroll through available access subcategories in the access subcategoryimage 306. The unlock interface 300 can include a shuffle graphicalobject 318 configured to command the device to initiate an automaticscroll through available access subcategories in the access subcategoryimage 306. In certain implementations, if the device detects contactwith both the shuffle graphical object 318 and the forward arrow 314,the device displays the first available access subcategory in the accesssubcategory image 306. Similarly, if the device detects contact withboth the shuffle graphical object 318 and the back arrow 316, the devicedisplays the last available access subcategory in the access subcategoryimage 306.

Returning to FIG. 2, in block 214, the device loads an accesssubcategory from memory corresponding to the access subcategory imagecontacted in block 212. In some implementations, where the accesssubcategory image changes periodically or in response to interactionwith other graphical objects on the unlock interface, the loaded accesssubcategory corresponds to the access subcategory image displayed at thetime of detected contact with the access subcategory image.

The access subcategories are related to the loaded access category. Inaddition, there are dummy subcategories that are presented that do notcorrespond to an authorized subcategory for unlocking the device. Incertain implementations, a plurality of authorized subcategories can beincluded with a plurality of unauthorized subcategories to reduce thelikelihood that an unwanted person can gain access to the device. TABLE1 includes examples of access categories and associated accesssubcategories where authorized subcategories are underlined and othersubcategories are dummy subcategories. Other suitable access categoriesand associated subcategories can be used.

TABLE 1 Category 1: Category 2: Category 3: Category 4: Radio StationsTV Shows Sports Teams Arts Awards Subcategory 1 Call Letters Actor NameJersey Number Album Name Subcategory 2 City Character Name Player NameGenre Subcategory 3 Country Show Channel Player Position Artist NameSubcategory 4 Genre Show Genre Team City Inductee Year Subcategory 5State Show Name Team Name Group Name Subcategory 6 Station NumberSeason Number Team State Grammies Won

In block 216, the device receives input for the access subcategory valueat an input object on the unlock interface. The access subcategory valuecorresponds to an entry for the loaded access subcategory within theloaded access category. The access subcategory value can be analphanumeric value or a numeric value. The access subcategory value canbe input by a user using a number of different methods including akeyboard, a soft keyboard, voice, or through the use of another sensor(e.g., pressure sensor, accelerometer, etc.).

FIG. 3C illustrates an example unlock interface 300 where an accesscategory has been loaded, as indicated by the active category image 304,and where an access subcategory has been loaded. Loading of the accesssubcategory can be indicated by an indicator on a number graphicalobject 310. The number graphical object 310 can be hidden duringprevious steps in the authentication process and may appear when theaccess subcategory has been loaded or selected. The number graphicalobject 310 can appear and can include an additional indicator (e.g., thetriangular indicator) when an access subcategory has been loaded thatexpects a numeric input. Similarly, as illustrated in FIG. 3D, a datagraphical object 312 can appear and can include an additional indicator(e.g., the triangular indicator) when an access subcategory has beenloaded that expects an alphanumeric input.

In some embodiments, the authentication process can require that atleast one alphanumeric access subcategory value be entered as well as atleast one numeric access subcategory value be entered. This may beillustrated by an example that references the values shown in thefigures as well as information from TABLE 1. If the access category, forexample, is “radio stations,” then the authentication process canrequire at least one access subcategory be provided that expects anumeric entry (e.g., the “Station Number” subcategory) as well as atleast one access subcategory that expects an alphanumeric entry (e.g.,the “City” subcategory). From the point of view of a user of a device, asuccessful unlocking process would thus include selection of the “radiostation” category, selection of the “station number” subcategory, entryof the correct or expected station number, selection of the “city”subcategory, and entry of the correct or expected city. In certainembodiments, to indicate that at least one access subcategory value hasbeen received or entered, the value entry indicator 322 can change froma first state (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 3C) to a second state (e.g.,as illustrated in FIG. 3D). This can help a user to keep track of thestages of the multi-step authentication process.

Returning to FIG. 2, in block 218, the device compares the loaded accesscategory, the loaded access subcategory(ies), and the received accesssubcategory value(s) to stored access credentials. The stored accesscredentials can include one or more access categories, one or moreaccess subcategories for each of the one or more access categories, andan access subcategory value for each access subcategory. The storedaccess credentials can be configured by the user in a separate process.The stored access credentials can be selected by a user where the userselects credentials that are easy to remember because the credentialsare associated with information personal to the user (e.g., a user'sfavorite radio station, TV show, sports team, artist, etc.). Themulti-stage authentication process, however, can make the credentialsdifficult to guess due at least in part to the multiple entries requiredand the multiple stages in the process.

If the entered information matches the stored access credentials, thedevice transitions to the unlocked state in block 220. The device canrequire that all of the access credentials be provided during the unlockprocess 200. For example, the stored access credentials can include aplurality of access categories, a plurality of access subcategories foreach access category, and a single access subcategory value for each ofthe plurality of access subcategories. To satisfy the authenticationprocess, then, the device can require that each access category beselected as well as each of the associated access subcategories and thecorresponding access subcategory values. The number of access categoriesto be required in the authentication process can be associated with alevel of difficulty configured by the user. For example, a beginninglevel authentication can require one access category, an intermediatelevel authentication can require two access categories, an advancedlevel authentication can require three access categories, and an expertlevel authentication can require four or more access categories.

Satisfaction of the unlocking process unlocks the device. While thedevice is unlocked, the device may display on the touch screenuser-interface objects corresponding to one or more functions of thedevice and/or information that may be of interest to the user. Theuser-interface objects are objects that make up the user interface ofthe device and may include, without limitation, text, images, icons,soft keys (or “virtual buttons”), pull-down menus, radio buttons, checkboxes, selectable lists, and so forth. The displayed user-interfaceobjects may include non-interactive objects that convey information orcontribute to the look and feel of the user interface, interactiveobjects with which the user may interact, or any combination thereof.The user may interact with the user-interface objects by making contactwith the touch screen at one or more touch screen locationscorresponding to the interactive objects with which she wishes tointeract. The device detects the contact and responds to the detectedcontact by performing the operation(s) corresponding to the interactionwith the interactive object(s).

If the entered information does not match the stored access credentials,the device remains in the locked state in block 222. The device canremain in the locked state if at least one piece of information does notmatch the stored access credentials. While the device is locked, theuser may still make contact on the touch screen. However, the lockeddevice is prevented from performing a predefined set of actions inresponse to any detected contact until the device is unlocked. Theprevented predefined set of action may include navigating between userinterfaces and entry of data by the user.

In block 224, the device displays a magnified version of the unlockinterface in response to incorrect credentials being entered. For eachincorrect credential, a magnification can be aggregated to a totalmagnification. The total magnification can be used to generate amagnified version of the unlock interface to indicate that one or moreincorrect credentials have been entered and to increase the difficultyof performing the authentication process. The magnified unlock interfacecan be configured to be static in position and size (e.g., the unlockinterface can be configured to not allow zooming and/or panning of theinterface).

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an example device 400 with an unlockinterface 410. In FIG. 4A, the unlock interface 410 is displayed in itsun-magnified state. After entry of incorrect credentials, a magnifiedversion of the unlock interface 410 is presented. As can be seen fromFIG. 4B, the magnified version of the unlock interface 410 can make itdifficult, impractical, and/or impossible to further perform theauthentication process. For example, the device 400 can prevent zooming,swiping, sliding, scrolling, etc. of the magnified version of the unlockinterface 410 and/or other touch-screen interactions. In particular, thedevice 400 can be configured to not respond to touch-screen gesturesthat typically (e.g., during normal operation of the device 400)correspond to moving a position of an interface on a display (e.g.,using gestures to swipe or scroll the displayed interface) or to changea zoom factor of an interface on a display (e.g., using gestures to zoomin or out of the displayed interface). This can effectively prevent auser from accessing one or more elements of the unlock interface 410.The level of magnification can be related to the incorrect credentialsentered during the authentication process. Each incorrect entry cancontribute to the total magnification. Different magnifications can beassigned to different credentials. For example, an incorrect accesscategory can contribute more to the final magnification than anincorrect access subcategory, and an incorrect access subcategory cancontribute more to the final magnification than an incorrect accesssubcategory value. By magnifying the unlock interface at the end of theauthentication process, the user may not be aware of which enteredcredential was incorrect. This may be advantageous where a person istrying to gain unauthorized access to the device, as the unlock processdoes not provide feedback to the user as to which credentials areincorrect.

If the magnification of the unlock interface is so great as to make itimpossible to perform the authentication process, the user may have topower off the portable electronic device. When the device is poweredback on, a security violation interface can be displayed. An example ofa security violation interface 500 is illustrated in FIG. 5. Thesecurity violation interface 500 can be similar to the unlock interface300 described herein with reference to FIGS. 3A-3E, but can have one ormore elements invisible, dimmed, or otherwise de-emphasized. Thesecurity violation interface 500 can indicate a security violation witha security violation indicator 520. The security violation indicator 520can be in a first state where there is not security violation, such asthe security violation indicator 320 illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3E, and canbe in a second state where there is a security violation, as illustratedin FIG. 5. To exit the security violation interface 500, a securepassword or identification can be entered using the number graphicsobject 510 and/or the data graphics object 512. The code can bedisplayed in plain text in the security violation value object 508 or itcan be displayed in such a way as to obscure the value entered (e.g.,using asterisks in place of the entered characters). If the correctsecurity value is entered, the device can enter the locked state anddisplay the unlock interface.

Accordingly, some embodiments disclosed herein provide an authenticationprocess that allows an open-ended number of tries. This is accomplisheddue at least in part to the magnification of the unlock interface.Because the amount of magnification depends at least in part on whichentered credentials are incorrect, the resulting magnification can bedifferent for each failed attempt. The device analyzes the inputcredentials (e.g., the selected access category, the selected accesssubcategory, the access subcategory value), determines differencesbetween the input credentials and the correct access credentials, anddetermines a magnification amount based on those differences. The amountof magnification may be small so that the unlock interface is stillusable. The magnified unlock interface can be a signal to the user thatthe attempt to unlock the device was unsuccessful. Using the magnifiedunlock interface, the user can attempt to unlock the device again. Anunsuccessful attempt can result in an additional magnification on top ofthe previous magnification. Again, the unlock interface may still beusable to attempt to perform the authorization process and the user maytry again. After a number of failed attempts, the magnification maybecome so large as to render the unlock interface unusable for thepurposes of performing the authorization process. A maximum number offailed attempts, however, may not be set by the device. It may be apractical result of magnifying the screen. Accordingly, the deviceallows an open-ended number of tries to access the device buteffectively limits the number of tries through magnification of theunlock interface.

In some embodiments, the device uses a scoring system to limit thenumber of sequential unsuccessful attempts to access the device. Thescoring system can score incorrect entries based at least in part onwhich access credentials are incorrect and/or the differences betweenreceived credentials and the correct credentials. In this way, thedevice can effectively allow fewer attempts to access the device whereinput credentials contain more differences from the correct credentialsrelative to input credentials that contain fewer differences from thecorrect credentials.

The magnification amount and/or the scoring system can weight incorrectentries differently depending on the particular access credential. Forexample, the device can give a larger weight (e.g., a larger score, ahigher magnification, etc.) to an incorrect access category than to anincorrect access subcategory. As another example, the device can give alarger weight to an incorrect access subcategory than to an incorrectaccess subcategory value. In certain implementations, the device cananalyze differences between a received access subcategory value and thecorrect access subcategory value to determine differences between them.Where there are minor differences (e.g., a typographical error switchingletters between the entered value and the correct value), the weight canbe smaller than for a received value that has more differences (e.g., noletters or numbers in common).

In some embodiments, the device uses data from previous attempts toaccess the device to determine a magnification amount and/or a score. Bycomparing a current failed attempt to access the device to previousfailed attempts, the device can determine a probability that theunsuccessful attempt is by an authorized user who merely made a mistakeduring the authorization process or whether the attempt is by anunauthorized user attempting to guess the correct credentials. Forexample, where an authorized user routinely misspells the correct accesssubcategory value, the resulting magnification or score can be smallcompared to an incorrect access subcategory because the user rarelyenters the incorrect access subcategory. The device can classify anunsuccessful attempt as an unsuccessful attempt by an authorized userwhere that unsuccessful attempt was immediately followed by a successfulattempt or where a successful attempt occurred within a predefined timelimit from the unsuccessful attempt (e.g., within 3 minutes, within 1minute, within 30 seconds, within 15 seconds, etc.).

Accordingly, some embodiments disclosed herein provide an authenticationprocess that presents a different authorization or unlock interfaceafter one or more failed attempts to access the device. As describedherein, the device can be configured to display a magnified unlockinterface after an unsuccessful attempt to access the device. If themagnification of the unlock interface becomes large enough after one ormore failed attempts, the unlock interface may become unusable for thepurpose of completing the authorization process. The device can beconfigured to require the device to be powered off to reset the unlockinterface magnification. However, the device can also be configured topresent a different authorization screen after powering back on. Thedevice can be configured to present this different authorization screenwhere the device was powered off at a time when the unlock interface wasin a magnified state. In this way, the device can effectively provide anadditional layer of security so that an unauthorized user is required tosupply additional authorization credentials before being allowed toattempt to access the device through the usual authorization process. Anexample of this different authorization screen is described herein withreference to FIG. 5.

In some embodiments, in addition to visual feedback, the electronicdevice supplies non-visual feedback to indicate progress towardscompletion of the unlock process. In some embodiments, in addition tovisual feedback, the electronic device supplies non-visual feedback toindicate completion of the unlock process. The additional feedback mayinclude audible feedback (e.g., sound(s)) or physical feedback (e.g.,vibration(s)).

Example Unlock Interfaces

As described above, FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate examples of an unlockinterface 300 in various states of an authentication procedure. In someembodiments, the device is initially in sleep mode and/or displays adark screen, and the device displays the unlock interface 300 whentouched, as illustrated in FIG. 3A. The user touches the touch screen atone of the locations corresponding to the access category images 302a-302 d to select an access category. The appearance of the categoryimages 302 a-302 d can provide information to the user as to the accesscategory associated with the image. For example, the user can know orremember that access category image 302 a displays a “1” thatcorresponds with the category “radio station.” The contact with theaccess category image, either overlapping with the access category image302 a, 302 b, 302 c, or 302 d or in proximity to the access categoryimage 302 a, 302 b, 302 c, or 302 d, is detected by the device and isdetermined to be an attempt to unlock the touch screen, based on thefact that the user is interacting with an access category image 302 a,302 b, 302 c, or 302 d.

After contacting an access category image, the unlock interface displaysthe active category image 304 in the second state to indicate that theaccess category has been loaded, as illustrated in FIG. 3B. The accesssubcategory image 306 can display values or images corresponding toaccess subcategories that correspond to the loaded access category. Theuser can contact the access subcategory image 306 when the desired ortargeted access subcategory is displayed (or a corresponding image isdisplayed) to indicate selection of the corresponding accesssubcategory. The device can detect contact with forward or back arrows314, 316 or shuffle graphical object 318, to change which accesssubcategory image 306 is displayed.

After contacting the access subcategory image 306, the accesssubcategory value object 308 can appear or receive focus to indicatethat an access subcategory has been loaded, as illustrated in FIG. 3C or3D. The device can then detect contact with the number graphical object310 or the data graphical object 312 to indicate selection ofalphanumeric entry or numeric entry. In some implementations, the devicecan include this selection in the stored access credentials. Thus, anincorrect selection at this point can increase the level ofmagnification of the unlock interface after the unsuccessfulauthentication process. The unlock interface 300 can indicate which dataentry object has been loaded (e.g., the black triangular indicator onthe number graphical object 310 in FIG. 3C or on the data graphicalobject 312 in FIG. 3D). Contact with the number graphical object 310 orthe data graphical object 312 triggers actions that allow entry of anaccess subcategory value, which can be displayed in the accesssubcategory value object 308. For example, the device can display on theunlock interface a numerical keyboard in response to detected contactwith the number graphical object 310. Similarly, the device can displayon the unlock interface an alphanumeric keyboard in response to detectedcontact with the data graphical object 312.

In some embodiments, the device requires a plurality of accesssubcategories for each loaded or selected access category. In certainimplementations, at least one of the required access subcategories canhave an associated value that is alphanumeric and another of therequired access subcategories can have an associated value that isnumeric. Where multiple access subcategories are used for each accesscategory, the subcategory value indicator 322 can be used to indicateif, or how many, access subcategory values have been entered. Forexample, the subcategory value indicator 322 can have one or more statesto indicate the number of values entered.

In some embodiments, the device requires a plurality of accesscategories to be entered for the authentication process. Theauthentication progress indicator 324 can be used to indicate how manyaccess categories have been completed. As illustrated in FIG. 3E, theauthentication progress indicator 324 shows that one access category hasbeen entered and the device is awaiting selection of a second accesscategory (e.g., the active category image 304 is in the first state).The authentication process can then proceed as with the first accesscategory, proceeding to selection of one or more access subcategoriesfor the second access category, and so on.

Upon successful completion of the multi-stage authentication process,the unlock action is complete. Upon completion of the unlock process,the device unlocks and displays on the touch screen user-interfaceobjects associated with normal operation of the device. A user mayinteract with the user-interface objects to activate an application orperform an operation. In some embodiments, the device goes back to sleepif the authentication process is not completed in a predetermined periodof time.

In some embodiments, the lock/unlock process may apply to specificapplications that are executing on the device as opposed to the deviceas a whole. In some embodiments, an unlock process transitions from oneapplication to another, for example, from a telephone application to amusic player or vice versa. In some embodiments, as the user transitionsfrom a first application and to a second application, a user interfacefor the second application may fade in (e.g., increase in intensity) anda user interface for the first application may fade out (e.g., decreasein intensity). The fade in and fade out may occur smoothly over apre-determined time interval, such as 0.2 s, 1 s or 2 s. Thepre-determined time interval may be in accordance with the unlockgesture, such as the time it takes the user to perform the gesture.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate the GUI display of a device in a user-interfacelock state, according to some embodiments of the invention. In FIG. 4A,device 400 includes a touch screen 408. The device 400 is locked and thetouch screen 408 is displaying an unlock image 410. The unlock image 410includes indicators and graphical objects with which a user may interactto select access categories, access subcategories, and/or enter accesssubcategory values. As described above, the unlock image 410 may bedisplayed by the device 400 upon an event that may require the user'sattention (e.g., incoming call or message) or upon user intervention(e.g., the user pressing the button 412 while the device is locked).

In FIG. 4B, the device 400 displays a magnified version of the unlockimage 410 after entry of incorrect credentials. The magnification of theunlock image 410 makes it impossible to enter certain information in theauthentication process. In this case, then, the user may choose to powerthe device off to enter the security violation screen, an example ofwhich is illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example security violation screen 500 that isentered after the device is powered on after an unsuccessful attempt tounlock the device. The security violation screen 500 includes elementsof the unlock interface 300 described herein with reference to FIGS.3A-3E, except that one or more elements are hidden, dimmed, displayed ina different state, or the like. The security violation indicator 520 canbe used to indicate that the device expects a security violation valueto be entered rather than a typical unlocking procedure. The device candetect contact with a number graphical object 510 or a data graphicalobject 512 to allow entry of alphanumeric or numeric data. Uponsuccessful entry of a proper security violation value, the device canreturn to displaying the unlock interface to allow the user to attemptto unlock the device.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate additional example embodiments of the unlockinterface 605, 610 for use on devices 600 with smaller screens, such asa smartwatch. The first unlock interface 605 can be presented toaccommodate the smaller screen, wherein the first unlock interfaceincludes the graphical objects that allow selection of access categoriesand access subcategories as well as to enter access subcategory values,as described herein with reference to FIGS. 3A-3D. The second unlockinterface 610 can include the graphical objects to indicate progress inthe authentication process, as described herein with reference to FIGS.3C-3E.

OPERATIONAL EXAMPLES

For purposes of illustration, examples of an authorization process willnow be described. These examples are for illustrative purposes only andare not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Example 1 Configuration of Authorization Credentials

The device can be configured to allow a user to configure theauthorization credentials to be supplied to unlock the device. During aconfiguration process, using one or more configuration interfacesdisplayed by the device, a user can select one or more categories aspart of the authentication process. In a simple example, the userselects a single access category. However, the user can select multipleaccess categories. In such a configuration, the device can require thateach access category (along with the correct access subcategories andaccess subcategory values) be successfully entered.

In this simple example, the user selects an access category from apredefined list of categories or set names or the user creates a newcategory or a new set. For the selected category or set, the userfurther selects one or more subcategories or set elements to be part ofthe authentication process. In some embodiments, the device can requireselection of 1 subcategory within each category. In some embodiments,the device can require selection of 2 subcategories within eachcategory. In some embodiments, the device can require selection of 3 ormore subcategories.

Each category can include a plurality of subcategories. In someembodiments, each category includes at least 4 subcategories, at least 5subcategories, at least 6 subcategories, at least 7 subcategories, atleast 8 subcategories, and so on. Each subcategory not selected to bepart of the user's authentication process can be presented during theauthentication process as a dummy subcategory. These dummy subcategoriesrepresent false or incorrect choices to decrease the probability that anunauthorized user guesses the correct authentication credentials.

For example, with reference to TABLE 1, if a user selects “TV Shows” asthe category or set name, the user can select one or more of thesubcategories “Actor Name,” “Character Name,” “Show Channel,” “ShowGenre,” “Show Name,” and “Season Number.” In the example shown in TABLE1, the selected subcategories are “Actor Name,” and “Season Number,” butany one of the subcategories can be chosen during the configurationprocess. During the authorization process, however, each of the listedsubcategories will be presented as possible options for selection.

Further, as part of configuring the authentication process, a user canset values for each selected subcategory. In some embodiments, asubcategory can limit the type of information provided as thesubcategory value. For example, a subcategory can be limited to numericentries or limited to alphanumeric entries. Continuing the example fromTABLE 1, the user may set a subcategory value for “Actor Name” to beJerry Seinfeld and a subcategory value for “Season Number” to 5.

Example 2 Successful Attempt to Unlock a Device

With the device configured as described in Example 1, a successfulattempt to unlock a device will now be described with reference to FIGS.3A-3E.

Presented with the unlock interface 300 shown in FIG. 3A, the usertouches the access category image 302 b labeled “2” to indicateselection of the category “TV Shows.” The user knows that the categorycorresponds to the image with the “2” because that was part of theconfiguration process. Upon selection of the access category, the activecategory image 304 changes states, as illustrated in FIG. 3B.

The device now begins to cyclically display values or images in theaccess subcategory image 306 corresponding to the subcategories in thecategory “TV Shows.” For example, the device displays in sequence thewords “Actor Name,” “Character Name,” “Show Channel,” “Show Genre,”“Show Name,” and “Season Number” in the access subcategory image 306.The user can change what is displayed in the access subcategory image306 by touching the forward arrow 314, the back arrow 316, the shufflegraphical object 318, or any combination of these. When a correctsubcategory is displayed in the access subcategory image 306, the usercan touch the access subcategory image 306 to select it.

Upon selection of the access subcategory “Season Number,” the numbergraphical object 310 activates, as shown in FIG. 3C. In addition, theaccess subcategory value image 308 can become active or highlighted, asshown in FIG. 3C. The user touches the number graphical object 310 andenters the number “5,” the value configured in Example 1, using anumeric keypad shown by the device or using some other method. Afterentering the number “5,” the value entry indicator 322 can change to asecond state to indicate that an access subcategory value has beenentered.

The device can then repeat the process of cycling subcategories in theaccess subcategory image 306. When the subcategory “Actor Name” appears,the user can touch the access subcategory image 306, then touch the datagraphical object 312, and then enter the value “Jerry Seinfeld” using akeyboard shown by the device or using some other method. An example ofdifferent credentials being entered is shown in FIG. 3D. After entry ofthe access subcategory value, the device unlocks.

Example 3 Unlocking a Device Using Two Access Categories

For example 3, the same procedure is repeated as in Example 2, exceptthat the user has configured 2 access categories as part of theauthorization process. After completion of the procedure described inExample 2, authentication progress indicator 324 can indicate that oneaccess category has been completed, as shown in FIG. 3E. The user canthen continue the access process beginning again at the stage ofselection of an access category. This time, the user selects the correctsecond access category and repeats the process of selecting correctaccess subcategories and entering correct access subcategory values togain access to the device.

Example 4 Unsuccessful Attempt to Unlock a Device

For Example 4, the same procedure is repeated as in Example 2, exceptthat the user enters the number “3” instead of the correct value of “5.”After the user completes the entire authorization process (i.e., afterentering the value “Jerry Seinfeld” for the second access subcategoryvalue), the device displays a magnified version of the unlock interface300 shown in FIG. 3A. Because the difference between the inputcredentials and the correct credentials is minor, the unlock interfacemay be magnified slightly to allow another attempt to unlock the device.

Example 5 Multiple Unsuccessful Attempt to Unlock a Device

For Example 5, the same procedure is repeated as in Example 2 exceptthat the user enters the wrong credentials at multiple points. Forexample, the user selects the access category corresponding to accesscategory image 302 a labeled “1.” The user then selects a firstsubcategory within that access category and inputs a first value, andselects a second subcategory within that access category and inputs asecond value. After inputting the second value, the device displays amagnified version of the unlock interface 300 shown in FIG. 3A.

This same procedure can be repeated (e.g., using different incorrectcredentials) until the magnification of the unlock interface makes theinterface unusable for unlocking the device. An example of such amagnified unlock interface is shown in FIG. 4B.

The user powers off the device in response to the unusable unlockinterface. Upon powering on the phone, the user is presented with thesecurity violation screen 500 shown in FIG. 5. The user enters a PINcode or a password. If the entered value is correct, the device thenreturns to showing the unlock interface 300 shown in FIG. 3A. If theentered value is incorrect or if there are a number of failed attempts,the device can enter a security alert state or some other state thatdenies access to all or part of the device, alerts a person or entity ofthe failed attempts, or the like.

Terminology

All of the methods and tasks described herein may be performed and fullyautomated by a computer system. The computer system may, in some cases,include multiple distinct computers or computing devices (e.g., physicalservers, workstations, storage arrays, cloud computing resources, etc.)that communicate and interoperate over a network to perform thedescribed functions. Each such computing device typically includes aprocessor (or multiple processors) that executes program instructions ormodules stored in a memory or other non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium or device (e.g., solid state storage devices, diskdrives, etc.). The various functions disclosed herein may be embodied insuch program instructions, and/or may be implemented inapplication-specific circuitry (e.g., ASICs or FPGAs) of the computersystem. Where the computer system includes multiple computing devices,these devices may, but need not, be co-located. The results of thedisclosed methods and tasks may be persistently stored by transformingphysical storage devices, such as solid state memory chips and/ormagnetic disks, into a different state. In some embodiments, thecomputer system may be a cloud-based computing system whose processingresources are shared by multiple distinct business entities or otherusers.

Depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, or functions of anyof the processes or algorithms described herein can be performed in adifferent sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g.,not all described operations or events are necessary for the practice ofthe algorithm). Moreover, in certain embodiments, operations or eventscan be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing,interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores or onother parallel architectures, rather than sequentially.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, routines, andalgorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosedherein can be implemented as physical electronic hardware, or as acombination of computer software and physical electronic hardware. Toclearly illustrate this interchangeability, various illustrativecomponents, blocks, modules, and steps have been described abovegenerally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality isimplemented as hardware or software depends upon the particularapplication and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Thedescribed functionality can be implemented in varying ways for eachparticular application, but such implementation decisions should not beinterpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the disclosure.

Moreover, the various illustrative logical blocks and modules describedin connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implementedor performed by a machine, such as a processor device configured toperform specific executable instructions, a digital signal processor(DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device,discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or anycombination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein.A processor device can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, theprocessor device can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine,combinations of the same, or the like. A processor device can includeelectrical circuitry configured to process computer-executableinstructions. In another embodiment, a processor device includes an FPGAor other programmable device that performs logic operations withoutprocessing computer-executable instructions. A processor device can alsobe implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., acombination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality ofmicroprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSPcore, or any other such configuration. Although described hereinprimarily with respect to digital technology, a processor device mayalso include primarily analog components. For example, some or all ofthe signal processing algorithms described herein may be implemented inanalog circuitry or mixed analog and digital circuitry. A computingenvironment can include any type of computer system, including, but notlimited to, a computer system based on a microprocessor, a mainframecomputer, a digital signal processor, a portable computing device, adevice controller, or a computational engine within an appliance, toname a few.

The elements of a method, process, routine, or algorithm described inconnection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodieddirectly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processordevice, or in a combination of the two. A software module can reside inRAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory,registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium. An exemplary storagemedium can be coupled to the processor device such that the processordevice can read information from, and write information to, the storagemedium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to theprocessor device. The processor device and the storage medium can residein an ASIC. The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. In the alternative,the processor device and the storage medium can reside as discretecomponents in a user terminal.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,”“might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, whileother embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/orsteps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended toimply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required forone or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without other input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment. The terms “comprising,”“including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are usedinclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additionalelements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or”is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so thatwhen used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or”means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.

Disjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, Z,”unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with thecontext as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may beeither X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z).Thus, such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and shouldnot, imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at leastone of Y, or at least one of Z to each be present.

Unless otherwise explicitly stated, articles such as “a” or “an” shouldgenerally be interpreted to include one or more described items.Accordingly, phrases such as “a device configured to” are intended toinclude one or more recited devices. Such one or more recited devicescan also be collectively configured to carry out the stated recitations.For example, “a processor configured to carry out recitations A, B andC” can include a first processor configured to carry out recitation Aworking in conjunction with a second processor configured to carry outrecitations B and C.

Although the above detailed description has shown, described, andpointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments, it can beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in theform and details of the devices or algorithms illustrated can be madewithout departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As can berecognized, certain embodiments described herein can be embodied withina form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forthherein, as some features can be used or practiced separately fromothers. The scope of certain embodiments disclosed herein is indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of unlocking a portable electronicdevice, the device including a touch-sensitive display, the methodcomprising: displaying on the touch-sensitive display an unlockinterface comprising: a plurality of access category images, whereineach of the plurality of access category images is a graphical,interactive user-interface object with which a user may interact; anactive category image different from the plurality of access categoryimages, wherein the active category image is a graphical object that hastwo states, a first state prior to interaction with an access categoryimage and a second state to indicate interaction with an access categoryimage; an access subcategory image, wherein the access subcategory imageis a graphical, interactive user-interface object with which a user mayinteract; and an access subcategory value image, wherein the accesssubcategory value image is a graphical object configured to displayinformation corresponding to a received subcategory value; displayingthe active category image in the first state; detecting a contact withthe touch-sensitive display on one of the plurality of access categoryimages displayed on the touch-sensitive display; loading an accesscategory from memory corresponding to the access category imagedisplayed at the detected contact; displaying the active category imagein the second state; modifying the access subcategory image to displayan image corresponding to one of a plurality of access subcategories,the plurality of access subcategories corresponding to the loaded accesscategory; detecting a contact with the touch-sensitive display on theaccess subcategory image displayed on the touch-sensitive display;loading an access subcategory from memory corresponding to the accesssubcategory image displayed at a time of the detected contact; receivingan access subcategory value; modifying the access subcategory valuewindow to display an image corresponding to the received accesssubcategory value; comparing the loaded access category, the loadedaccess subcategory, and the received access subcategory value to storedaccess credentials, the stored access credentials comprising an unlockcategory, an unlock subcategory, and an unlock value; if the loadedaccess category matches the unlock category, the loaded accesssubcategory matches the unlock subcategory and the received subcategoryvalue matches the unlock value: unlocking the portable electronicdevice; and ceasing to display the unlock interface; and if the loadedaccess category does not match the unlock category or the loaded accesssubcategory does not match the unlock subcategory or the received accesssubcategory value does not match the unlock value: maintaining thedevice in a locked state; and displaying a magnified version of theunlock interface wherein the magnification is based at least in part ondifferences between the loaded access category and the unlock category,differences between the loaded access subcategory and the unlocksubcategory, and/or differences between the received access subcategoryvalue and the unlock value, wherein the unlock category, the unlocksubcategory, and the unlock value are related to one another aslogically related pieces of information.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the unlock category comprises a radio station category, theunlock access subcategory comprises one of a city or a station callnumber, and the unlock value corresponds to the city or the station callnumber of the unlock access subcategory.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the unlock category comprises a professional sports team, theunlock subcategory comprises one of a player jersey number or a teamname, and the unlock value corresponds to the player jersey number orthe team name of the unlock access subcategory.
 4. The method of claim1, wherein the unlock category comprises a television show, the unlocksubcategory comprises one of a cast name or a show seasons number, andthe unlock value corresponds to the cast name or the show seasons numberof the unlock subcategory.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the unlockcategory comprises arts awards, the unlock subcategory comprises one ofan album name or an award year, and the unlock value corresponds to thealbum name or the award year of the unlock subcategory.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein displaying the magnified version of the unlockinterface comprises displaying a portion of the unlock interface suchthat the portion fills the touch-sensitive display.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, wherein the magnification increases by a first value if theloaded access category does not match the unlock category, by a secondvalue if the loaded access subcategory does not match the unlocksubcategory, and by a third value if the received access subcategoryvalue does not match the unlock value.
 8. The method of claim 7, furthercomprising aggregating the magnification over a plurality ofunsuccessful unlock attempts.
 9. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising entering a secured state after the portable device is poweredon if the portable device is powered down after displaying the magnifiedversion of the unlock interface.
 10. The method of claim 9, whereinentering the secured state comprises displaying a secure lock interfacecomprising a parameter violation image, wherein the parameter violationimage is a graphical, interactive user-interface object with which auser interacts to enter an exit code.
 11. The method of claim 10,further comprising comparing the entered exit code to a stored exit codeand displaying the unlock interface if the entered exit code matches thestored exit code.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the unlockinterface further comprises a plurality of mandatory access categoryimages, wherein each mandatory access category image is a graphicalobject configured to display information corresponding to a number ofmandatory access categories.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein thenumber of mandatory access categories corresponds to a number of accesscategories for which an access subcategory must be loaded and for whichan access subcategory value must be received prior to unlocking theportable electronic device.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein thenumber of mandatory access categories is greater than or equal to
 2. 15.The method of claim 14, wherein the number of mandatory accesscategories is less than or equal to
 4. 16. A portable electronic device,comprising: a touch-sensitive display; memory; one or more processors;one or more programs stored in the memory and configured for executionby the one or more processors, the one or more programs includinginstructions for: displaying on the touch-sensitive display an unlockinterface comprising: a plurality of access category images, whereineach of the plurality of access category images is a graphical,interactive user-interface object with which a user may interact; anactive category image different from the plurality of access categoryimages, wherein the active category image is a graphical object that hastwo states, a first state prior to interaction with an access categoryimage and a second state to indicate interaction with an access categoryimage; an access subcategory image, wherein the access subcategory imageis a graphical, interactive user-interface object with which a user mayinteract; and an access subcategory value image, wherein the accesssubcategory value image is a graphical object configured to displayinformation corresponding to a received subcategory value; displayingthe active category image in the first state; detecting a contact withthe touch-sensitive display on one of the plurality of access categoryimages displayed on the touch-sensitive display; loading an accesscategory in response to the detected contact; displaying the activecategory image in the second state; modifying the access subcategoryimage to display an image corresponding to one of a plurality of accesssubcategories, the plurality of access subcategories corresponding tothe loaded access category; detecting a contact with the touch-sensitivedisplay on the access subcategory image displayed on the touch-sensitivedisplay; loading an access subcategory in response to the detectedcontact; modifying the access subcategory value window to display animage corresponding to a received access subcategory value; unlockingthe portable electronic device if the loaded access category matches astored unlock category, the loaded access subcategory matches a storedunlock subcategory, and the received subcategory value matches a storedunlock value; and displaying a magnified version of the unlock interfaceif the loaded access category does not match the stored unlock categoryor the loaded access subcategory does not match the stored unlocksubcategory or the received access subcategory value does not match thestored unlock value, wherein the magnification is based at least in parton differences between the loaded access category and the stored unlockcategory, differences between the loaded access subcategory and thestored unlock subcategory, and/or differences between the receivedaccess subcategory value and the stored unlock value.
 17. The portableelectronic device of claim 16, further comprising instructions todisplay a secure lock screen if the portable device is powered downafter displaying the magnified version of the unlock interface.
 18. Theportable electronic device of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality ofcategory images comprises a geometrical shape with text within thegeometrical shape.
 19. The portable electronic device of claim 16,wherein the unlock interface comprises at least one graphical object toindicate if there has been a security violation.
 20. The portableelectronic device of claim 16, wherein the unlock interface comprises atleast one graphical object to indicate if at least one accesssubcategory value has been received.
 21. The portable electronic deviceof claim 16, further comprising instructions to periodically change theaccess subcategory image displayed on the touch-sensitive display. 22.The portable electronic device of claim 16, further comprisinginstructions to change a displayed access subcategory image based on adetected contact with the touch-sensitive display on a change accesssubcategory image.
 23. The portable electronic device of claim 16,wherein the user-interface object corresponding to the accesssubcategory value is configured to allow entry of text.
 24. The portableelectronic device of claim 16, wherein the user-interface objectcorresponding to the access subcategory value is configured to allowentry of a number.
 25. The portable electronic device of claim 16,wherein the portable electronic device comprises a smartwatch.
 26. Theportable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the portable electronicdevice comprises a smartphone.
 27. The portable electronic device ofclaim 16, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a tablet.